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Meet the engineers...

As a researcher and engineering lecturer at NUI Galway, one of the best parts of my job is working alongside some really enthusiast, smart and motivated students. These students are passionate about their work, and constantly surprise and impress me with their insightful questions and innovative solutions – the students participating in this year’s “I’m an engineer, get me out of here” were no different!

Over the two-week period, we met every day with students from all over Ireland. The eclectic mix of questions ranged from “why can’t we harness the electrical power from lightening?” to “what was the most important engineering invention of all time?” or “Why would you bring an engineer into space with you?”. While challenging, these questions clearly showed the interest and enthusiasm the students had for science and engineering. Their level of real engagement with the topics paints a very promising picture for the future of engineering in Ireland.

For me personally, I was fascinated by the work of my fellow engineers, whose work ranged from medical device design to development work in Africa. Each engineer was a great ambassador for the profession and their passion for their work was evident each and every day.

Having been supported by Engineers Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland over the course of my own career, it was a great opportunity to give something back. The importance of these type of outreach activities can not be overstated, but based on our experience over the two weeks, the future for Engineering in Ireland is definitely bright!